E-2 Visa
The E-2 treaty investor visa is a nonimmigrant visa which allows foreign entrepreneurs from treaty nations to enter into the U.S. and carry out investment and trade activities. Once you have E-2 visa/status, you can renew it indefinitely as long as your business meets the requirements. Below are E-2 visa requirements:
1- You must be national of a treaty country. A complete list of the countries on the list can be found here. https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/treaty.html
2- You must have invested or be actively in the process of investing. This means that you should show:
• All funds invested are At Risk and irrevocably committed. This means that you should spend some of the money prior to the approval of your visa.
• Legitimate possession and control over the funds. Showing that you either saved the money, were given the money as a gift, or legitimately earned the money.
• You must be very close to the start of business. This means you should have a signed lease, your business bank account should be set up, you should have a website, and you should have purchased whatever you need to get the business up and running.
3- You must be in the position to manage and direct the business with your skills. This means you should actively manage the business and you should have the appropriate skills to do that.
4- Your investment must be substantial. There is no predetermined amount for E-2 visa. The actual required investment amount depends on the type of business you are investing in.
5- Your investment/business cannot be marginal. This means that the business should be viable and cannot be set up so that it provides a means of living just for you and your family. You can demonstrate your business is not marginal by putting together a business plan that shows growth over a 5-year period or by showing that you plan to hire employees in the future.
Contact our immigration office in Vienna, VA for advice on obtaining E-2 visa
If you wish to start a small business in the United States, give us a call at 703-752- 6148 to inquire more about the E-2 visa and its requirements.